The objective of the present invention is to improve on and simplify the construction and operation of the newspaper vending machine disclosed in the above-referenced prior application, particularly in terms of enabling the machine to handle newspapers of varying thicknesses including large Sunday newspapers in major cities which are commonly several inches thick. The mechanism in the referenced application, while very efficient in dispensing newspapers up to about one inch thick, is somewhat lacking in its ability to handle newspapers averaging two or more inches in thickness.
A further objective is to provide a newspaper dispensing mechanism which is less costly to manufacture and more reliable in operation than other prior art types.
Another object is to provide a machine of maximum convenience to the customer by eliminating the necessity for opening any door or retracting any slide manually. The present invention requires only a single pulling and release of one hand level after the deposit of proper coins into a standard coin control device on the cabinet of the machine. The hand lever is returned by spring means to its normal ready position and its return movement is retarded to allow adequate time for each newspaper to fall to the delivery station and also to resist damaging the hand lever linkage under rough usage by customers.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following detailed description.